Redwood Falls City Council reviews proposed new residential / industrial park plans

Proposed map of the industrial site courtesy by Bolton and Menk.

It’s just a proposal at this point, and nothing is definite. It hasn’t even been decided whether or not it will actually happen. But this week, the Redwood Falls City Council heard some ideas about a possible upcoming new residential area / industrial park that could be set into place south of town starting as soon as next year.

The basics of the proposal have been in the works for about a year. Engineers from the Sleepy Eye-based firm of Bolton & Menk told the city council that the 325 acres for the proposed residential and industrial area have been surveyed on the south side of Redwood Falls, in the approximate area of Carris Health – Redwood and St. John Lutheran School.

Proposed map of the residential section courtesy Bolton and Menk.

The residential and industrial areas, if the proposals go through, would be built in phases, depending on demand. The city would create the infrastructure such as roads, sewer systems, and electrical systems, then sell the finished, construction-ready lots to interested developers.

Before the presentation by the engineers, Claire Meyers, marketer and co-owner of Vantage Point Marketing, told the City Council that groups of area residents met three times to discuss how the proposed residential area and industrial park could be marketed to the wider world to attract potential businesses and their employees.

As possible names, “Reflection Prairie” was suggested for the residential area, while “Reflection Ridge” was suggested for the business park. Meyers also presented the council with a variety of possible logos and other business-related marketing tools.

Proposed logo of the residential park courtesy Vantage Point Marketing

Then came the issue of possible costs. The engineers estimated the first phase of construction for the residential and business sites would total about $14.3 million. If demand justifies it, completing the next phases of the project would add another $8.5 million.

While the city councilors and city staff were enthusiastic about the proposals, there is still the issue of how to pay for it. The City of Redwood Falls still has funding left over from the sale of the hospital, and there are many possible state and federal grants and low-interest loans to be explored. City staff and councilors agreed to spend the next 60 days looking at possible financing options to see if it is even feasible.

In the best case scenario, the city would send out requests for bids to contractors by approximately next March, with construction starting next summer. But there is a whole lot of work to be done, and decisions to be made, before any of that can happen.